Majors, Fulmer pay tribute to Harry Galbreath

CLARKSVILLE -- When redshirt freshman Harry Galbreath saw Philip Fulmer at Picture Day in 1983, he put his arm around the Tennessee offensive line Coach and said, “Coach, we’re going to be best friends.”

Fulmer really didn’t know the guard from Clarksville yet and it was obvious Galbreath didn’t know freshmen go through a boot camp when they arrive in Knoxville.

“Freshman, I’m going to wear you out,” Fulmer screamed at Galbreath.

Fulmer was so hard on him that first season that Galbreath wanted to quit the team, but his mother, Delores Nicholson, told him if he did he would go straight to the Army.

So Galbreath stuck it out and went on to become an All-American who later played in the NFL for nine seasons with Miami, Green Bay and the New York Jets.

Former teammates and coaches were among the hundreds of mourners at his funeral Wednesday at First Assembly of God Church. Galbreath, 45, died on July 27 in Mobile, Ala., where he worked as a CSX railroad manager.

The cause of death wasn’t disclosed, but ESPN.com reported it was an apparent heart ailment. His former Volunteer teammates served as pallbearers.

“Pound-for-pound, he was probably the most dominant player I’ve ever coached,” former Tennessee Coach Johnny Majors told the mourners in a tribute. “I’m thankful I never had to line up on the other side of the line of scrimmage against him.”

The Vols awarded their final scholarship to Galbreath in 1983 when he was being recruited by Austin Peay and MTSU. Majors watched a film of him playing at Clarksville and said the fierce look in his eyes during games gave him a good gut feeling about him.

Former Vols teammate Reggie McKenzie said the Tennessee linebackers didn’t like Galbreath, a punishing blocker who was just as physical in practice as he was in games.

“Everybody knows Harry is one of those guys that cheats,” McKenzie said. “He likes to hold and grab and when he gets those big hands on you, there was no way you could get them off. He was the strongest guy ever and he had a little mean streak to him.”

Galbreath was only 6-foot-1, but he overpowered defenders with his powerful upper body.

“He honestly would just maul (the linebackers) at practice,” former Vols running backs Coach Doug Mathews said. “It was like a dog on a bone. A bunch of those guys played pro football, but they didn’t want to go up against him. He was one of those guys that in a drill you’d see where he was and count and make sure you weren’t the one going up against him. Push those young guys up front a lot.”

As a senior, he won the 1987 Jacobs Award, given annually to the Southeastern Conference’s top blocker.

“Harry didn’t try to block you. Harry tried to hurt you,” Fulmer said. “He had that mentality about playing football. He was a gentle giant off the field and kind and a wonderful young man and everything, but on the field he played the game with a passion and a vengeance that only a few have ever played the game with.”

Fulmer started at 76 Club named after Galbreath’s UT number to honor the top Volunteer linemen after he graduated.

Galbreath earned the nickname Harry “Love” at Tennessee because he thought of himself as the romantic type. He once introduced himself to two Lady Vols basketball players as “Harry Belafonte Romeo Sanchez.”

Galbreath became a Tennessee captain and started for his last three seasons.

“He’s probably looking down on us with that big, old smile,” Fulmer told the mourners at the end of his tribute. “You told me, ‘Coach, you and I are going to be best friends.’ And Harry, my friend, you were right.”